Method and apparatus for cutting off float threads



y 1932- H. E. KATZENMOYER 5 3 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF FLOAT THREADS Filed April 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 9.1. Q zzzziim IIIEE [CLIPPER OPERATaR OPERATOR art/cantor H6073 Ka'elvaqyer y 1932- H. E. KATZ'ENMOYER 1,859,094

METHOD'AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF FLOAT THREADS Filed April 16, 19-30 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I II I May 17, 1932. H. E. KATZENMOYER R METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF FLOAT THREADS Filed April 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Harry E KaZjama /ez Patented May 17,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE HARRY E. KATZENMOYER, 0F ROSEDALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO FISHER HOSIERY CO. INC., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OFF FLOAT THREADS Application filed April 16,

' and such extra threads are introduced during the knitting for only a portion of each circular course, and as they span the stocking tube, the portions of the float threads which extend across the interior of the stocking must be cut away as close to the fabric as possible, to neatly finish the hose.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for not only expeditiously cutting off the loose ends of the float threads close to the fabric without damaging the latter, but which allows a number of operators stationed about a rotary table or turret, to successively place the stockings on suitable supports, to

clip the floating ends of the thread, and to then remove the stockings from the forms.

Another object is to furnish a system of this character, including a suction apparatus positioned above the form table, and having suction arms which are arranged directly above the clipper stations, so that the ends of the float threads are not only raised to facilitate the cutting of the'same, but such ends, as soon as they are severed, are immediately removed by the suction apparatus.

A further object is to provide a novel stocking form comprising spaced rods which hold a stocking tout, and yet allow the fabric to yield under the pressure of the clipper, whereby excess pressure exerted on the clipper by an operator,"v vill be prevented from damaging the hose.

Another object is to provide a stocking support of oscillatable type, to allow the operator, after clipping the floating ends at one side of the stocking, to turn the latter to a position so that the floating ends at the oppo site sides of the stocking may be clipped.

A further object is to furnish each clipper used, with a novel guard which not only tends to lift and guide the ends of the float threads, but acts to maintain the teeth of the 1930. Serial No. 444, 75.

clipper out of contact with the fabric of the hose.

With the foregoing objects outlined and c with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the form table of my improved apparatus, and showing how eight operators may be placed around the same in such manner that four of these operators may put stockings on and remove them fromthe forms, while four other operators are clipping the ends of the float from such stockings.

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 4, and showing one of the stocking forms or supports.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same.

' Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the form on the line 1-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a diametrical sectional view of the form table shown in Fig. 1, but with the suction apparatus arranged above the same, and having its suction arms positioned di-. rectly abovethe forms when the latter arrive at the clipper operator stations.

'Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the suction dev1ce. 1

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a power operated clipper, forming part of the invention. v Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the clipper guard. i

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of one of the, forms with a stocking arranged thereon, and showing the operator about to clip the floating ends from the stocking at one'side of the latter.

threads 1 Fig. 11 is a similar View ofthe forman'd about the table. For instance, at the four points 15, four Operators will be stationed to place unfinished stockings on-the skeleton forms 16, and to remove the stockings from the forms, while at the intermediate stations 17,; four operators will be located to. clip the ends ofthefioat threads from the stockmg. v v g As best shown in Figs. .2. to 4 inclusive, each form. is mounted at the upper end of one. of- .the posts,.a.nd such a form. may consist of a (collar'l8 having a: horizontal axis, and: provided at, its inner end with an inwardly extending flange .19- which is over-- lapped by the edge of a circular disk: 20 that is secured to the post any suitable means, such asscrews 21. This construction allowsthe collar 18 to turn aboutt hedisk, and-for the purpose of limiting such turning to an oscillating motion, astop. pin 22, that is rigidly connected: to the collar 18,. erojeets anaar-c-shaped slot .23, which is concentrically arranged in the. -stationary"disk20.

Bosses 124- which are preferably spaced 120 degrees apart. on=theoollar, are-rigidly connected: to! projecting; rods that form a triangularassembly, and hare their outer ends curvedandmerging into one another as .at-26; "Ehiese-merging: ends'form a nose: for the support to receive the toe portion of a stocking which. turned: inside out when: it ,issmounted-on the-support; and one of the arms'has ;a hook .27: to. accommodate a special toe uncertain types-oat stockings. This arin also has an 016E981? or depressed portion 28 to receive the heel portion'of the :reversedstocking, and when the form is in the position shown in- Figs. 1 :an'd"2, i't'will be manifest that the offset portion, 28-will function as an indicator to guide an operator in placing-s stocking on-Ithe. form in such-a way that the ends of the floatwthreaicls will pmjectin o;

posite directions from the form, and will be positioned betweenmthe :arms 25, as clearly shown-in Fig. 10.. V 3

,At this point, let; usassumethat rat the startof the/operation, the 'operators at stations 15 place four stockings on the forms-16 at thesel-ocations,inthemanner indicated in Fig.10; Now the table will be given a oneeighth rotation, so as to bring these four stockings to the clipper operator stations 17..

Each of the clipper operators, as shownin Fig; 1.0, will now turn his-stocking bearing form; until the pin reaches theplower-end per, sothat the-threadswi ll 'be severed close to the fabric without damaging the latter. At the same time", the suction device, described hereinafter, willact to cause theends 29 to stand up, and will, suck the severed ends away as .soonastliese ends, are cut from the iahric.

After the clipper operator has removed the ends 29,.he will turnthe formilfito bring the ends at the: oppositeside-of the stockring, uppermost, and this operatiom the pLn.2-2.will m-oveto the end of the slot 23:. Now it will be seen that the ends 33 project upwardly from a horizontally disposed. portion 34, ofthe stocking, which is stretchedsbetween the side .barsof the form which are uppermost. at this time- Here-also,

as the operator moves thecl-ipper 32overthe honizontally disposed portionfid of the stocking, thestocking will yield under thepressure ofthe clipper, and the ends 33 will-be cut otf close to the fabric without the-latter.

Wlule-the clipper operators at. the stations 17 are clipping the four stockings, the operators .at'the-fiour stations 15 are placing four more stockings onfour of the for-ms 16,

whereby as soon as the clipper operators 3 finish with the. first four stockings the table is ready to be turnedv to bring four new stockings into position to have the ends of the float threads severed. Atthe timethe clipper. operators are ready'to start onthe second, tour stockings, the operators at'stations 15' will remove the clipped stockings, and placed-four unclipped stoc=kingson.,-the

forms, and this operation will repeated throughout the-workingperiod; I

Referring now to Fig. 5, .itwill be observed that a suctionchamber35 is positioned above the table 12, and may be connected to any suitable vacuum pumpby means not shown.

Extending downwardly from this chamber,

arefonr pipes 36 arranged a-tIninety-degrees relatively to one, another, andeach carrying at its'lowe-r end,a suction arm 37, which arms are-opposite the clipper operator stations 17-, and are positio-ned directly above the pathzof movement of'th-e forms .16. As suction; is continuously, exerted in the :arms 37,-.it will beapparentfthat whenever a form carrying 'unciipped stocking: comes beneath one of these: arms, and the ,form' isturned "in the position shown in either of Figs. 10 or 11, the loose thread ends will be sucked upwardly, so that they will be upstanding when they are clipped, and the severed ends will be withdrawn through the arms 37 pipes 36 and chamber 35. In this way, the accumulation of debris is prevented from interfering with the work of the operators.

The loose ends of the float threads may be severed by any suitable means. For instance, hand clippers may be used, but to facilitate the operation, I prefer to employ power operated clippers of the type shown in Figs. 7 and 8. However, I provide such a power clipper 38 with a special guard 39 of the type shown in Fig. 9. This guard is provided with apertures 40 which may receive screws that are employed to adjustably secure the guard to the under side of the clipper. If shims are used with such screws, obviously, the guard may be spac'ed'different distances away from the bottom of the clipper, so as to raise or lower the knives of the clipper to permit cutting more or less of the loose ends of the float threads away from the stockings.

The guard is provided with forwardly projecting spaced fingers 41 having upturned ends 42 to prevent these endsfrom digging into the fabric as the clipper passes over the latter. As the fingers are spaced apart, they form a throat or cavity e3, into which the threads move as the clipper passes along the stocking, and any threads which tend to adhere to the stocking and lie upon the same, will be initially lifted by these guard fingers, so that they may be readily handled by the suction apparatus.

It will be understood that while the float threads, during knitting of the stocking, ordinarily extend approximately diametrally across the cylinder from edge to edge of the reenforced area, the drawin s indicate them as intermediately severed. uch severing is a preliminary step performed before the beginning of my aforesaid clipping operation and may be accomplished by an automatic attachment to the knitting machine operating during the knitting of the stocking; or may subsequently be done by hand or on a separate cutting device.

While I have disclosed a system in which the forms are arranged on a rotatable table, it will be obvious that the same system may be employed in any environment where the forms travel in an endless path, it only being essential to have a clipper operator between each two operators who place the unclipped hose on the forms and remove the clipped hose from the forms.

The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recside out, comprising arranging the hose on a r skeleton form with a portion of the stocking stretched between. opposite supports and the ends of the loose threads projecting outwardly fromthis portion of the stocking, and then clipping the loose ends from the stretched portion of thestocking.

3. A method of removing the loose ends of float threads from stockings, comprising yieldingly supporting a reversed stocking in such manner that the loose ends project out.-

wardly from a stretched portion of the stocking, and then severing the loose ends from the yieldingly supported portion of the stocking. 7

4. A method of removing the loose ends of float threads from hosiery, consisting in turning a stocking inside out on a skeleton frame, so as to yieldingly support the portions of the hose from which the loose ends project, and then clipping the loose ends from stocking by passing a. clipper over the yieldingly supported portions of the stocking.

5. A method of removing the loose ends of float threads from hosiery, comprising turning a stocking inside out and supporting the same on a skeleton form on which the por-V tions of the stocking from which the loose ends project are yieldingly supported, then cutting one line of said loose ends from the fabric, then turning the form to bring the f other line of loose threads in a'particular'location, and finally severing the last mentioned line of loose ends from the fabric.

6. A method of removing the loose ends of float threads from circular knit hose, comprising placing a triangular skeleton form into a stocking which has been turned inside out, positioning the stocking on the form in such manner that the portions of the stocking from which the lines of loose threads project are yieldingly supported, then passing a clipper over one of the yieldingly supported portions of the stocking and thereby clipping one line of said loose ends from the stocking, then turning the form to bring the other line of loose threads uppermost, and finally passing a clipper over the portion of the stocking from which the last mentioned line of loose threads projects, and thereby severingtthelast mentionedline of loose threads from the: stocking;

7. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a movable carrier, at number of stocking supports mounted onsaid carrier, a suction chamber, and suction arms communicating'vvith said chamber and arranged in close prom'inity'to the path of movement of said supports.

8: An; apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable table, aseries of spaced stocking supports carried by the table, a-suctionchamber, and suction arms radially arranged with respect to the table, and positioned in close proximity to the path of movement of said forms.

9; A method for use in removing the loose ends of floatthreads from tubular stockings or the like, which comprises relatively moving a series of'skeleton stocking supporting forms past aseries of operator stations, re-

' moving a previously cut stocking and yieldingly stretching'an uncut stocking inside out on each form passing alternate. operator sta tions, and. at the stations between said alternate stations'severing said float threads by passing a clipper over said stretched fabrics.

10. A method for use in removing the loose ends of float threads for tubular stock ings or the like, whichcomprises relatively moving a series of skeleton stocking supporting forms past a series of operator stations, removing a previously cut stocking and yieldingly stretching an uncut stockin'g inside out on each form" passing alternate operator stations, at the stations between said alternate stations severing said float threads by passing a clipper over said stretched fabrics, and at each such severing station passing said'form in close' proximity beneath a suction chamber extension to lift said float threadsand carry them away when severed.

l1.- An apparatus of the character de scribed, comprising an intermittently rotatable table, a series of spaced brackets-secured thereto, a rotatable support mounted on :each bracket, a skeleton frame stocking support of substantially triangular cross section carried by each support and radially fixed suctioniarinspositioned in closeproximity to the path of travel of said forms and arranged to simultaneously overlie every alternate form when said table is at rest. c

In testimony whereof-I afliX my signature.

HARRY E, KATZENMOYER. 

